Rothmans International plc

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Rothmans International plc. was a British tobacco and beer manufacturer, now merged into British American Tobacco. Its brands included Rothmans and Dunhill. Its headquarters were in Essex.

[edit] Sponsorship of motorsports

The Rothmans sponsored 1996 Williams driven by Jacques Villeneuve

Rothmans was an active promoter of motorsports, principally in Europe, yet in world championships series.

From 1982 onwards, Rothmans supported the factory Porsche effort, winning the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans 1-2-3 with their Porsche 956. Rothmans-Porsche also won the World Sportscar Championship, many other races and later Le Mans events in the 1980s, until the team officially pulled out of the championship in 1987. Rothmans sponsorship also extended to rallying, where they sponsored the Porsche team winning the Paris-Dakar rally in 1985 and 1986, and to the World Rally Championship. When the Porsche involvement ended at the end of the Group B days, Rothmans transferred its association to Subaru, run by David Richards' Prodrive team. Coincidentally, Richards had run the Porsche rallying team and was sponsored by Rothmans when he was co-driving the Ford Escort RS1800. The association with Prodrive would last until 1992, when their sponsorship was replaced by sister brand State Express 555.

Between 1985 to 1993 Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Rothmans supported the works Honda team. Rothmans then transferred their association to Williams F1 during the World Championship until 1998, when sponsorship was transferred to Winfield, another sister brand.

[edit] Timeline

1890 A tobacco company is founded by Louis Rothman.
1900 Rothman opens a showroom, Rothmans of Pall Mall. This is a shop of long standing which receives deliveries daily by horse and cart even today.
1905 King Edward VII grants Rothmans a royal warrant.
1929 Rothmans is traded on the stock market.
1954 Rembrandt Tobacco Company acquires controlling interest in Rothmans.
1958 Rembrandt acquires Carreras Ltd.
1967 Carreras acquires 51% stake in Alfred Dunhill, Ltd..
1972 Rothmans provides corporate financial support for the British olympic team.
1976 Rothmans provides corporate financial support for the inaugural Hong Kong Sevens.
June 1993 Rothmans launches Marlboro Light King Size.
January 1996 Rembrandt Group and Richemont merge their tobacco business under the Rothmans International name.
1999 Rothmans merges with British American Tobacco.